Spring forming machine



Dec. 25, 1934. w. E. WUNDERLICH 1,935,392

SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet" Dec. 25, 1934. w. E. WUNDERLICH SPRING FORMING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 10, 1933 Dec. 25, 1934. V w. E. WUNDERLiCH SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet I I t 667 a ){Y I f I I/ II 55 59 IT- Q Deb. 25, 1934. w, E WUNDERUCH 1,985,392

SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 25, 19 34 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 14 Claims.

My invention is concerned with machines used. in forming coiled springs of the type-used in bedsprings. It is customary in such springs to wrap or knot the end of the wire of which-the'spring is formed around the next to the last turn of the spring; andit is the primary object of my invention to provide a wrapping mechanism in association with the spring-forming machine, to provide transfer means for carrying the completely wound spring to the wrapping mechanism, and to provide a second transfer means which will remove the springs successively from the wrapping mechanism and stack or nest them. More specifically, it is my object to provide for a springcoiling machine a unitary attachment which will include the wrapping mechanism, the two transfer mechanisms, and means for operating them in timed relation with the spring-coiling mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide, in a machine for coiling conical springs, an attachment by which the stock wire may be partially withdrawn from the machine after a completed spring has been cut from it to permit it to be repassed later through the forming rolls and bent at a different curvature.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Figs. 1 and 2 are front a'nd'end elevations respectively of the complete machine; Fig. '3 is a plan of the complete machine; Fig. '4 is a detailed view illustrating the mechanism by which successively formed springs are nested; Fig. 5 is a fragmental front elevation of the machine on an enlarged scale showing details of the coiler, the wrapping mechanism or knotter, and the two transfer devices; Fig. 6 is a fragmental view similar to Fig. 5 showing the parts of the knotter in a different position; Fig. '7 illustrates the knotter in plan; Fig. 8 shows in plan the detailed construction of the transfer device by means of which the formed spring is carried from the coiler to the knotter; Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the same transfer device; Figs. 10 and 11 are vertical sections on the line AA of Fig. 9 illustrating different positions of the jaw-operating parts of the transfer device; Fig. 12is a front elevation of a mechanism employed for withdrawing the stock wire after-a spring has been-com pletely coiled and -severed';-and;Fig."13 is avertical section on the line 13-13 of Fig. 1, showing i an elevation qfthe transfer device bywhich the springs are carried from;the-.knotter to the rack on whiohthey arenested. f a

My invention is not primarily concerned with details of the spring cilingmachine. Such machines are well known and, for my present purpose, need not be fully described. I 'I'hespring-forming machine illustrated in the I drawings'comprisesa frame 10 carrying two-.op-g I posed feed rolls 11 and 12 which draw thestock wire 13 from a supplyreel (not shown) hrough' a straightener 14. The wire, after leaving the rolls 11 and 12, passes through a set of threeforming rolls best shown in Figs. 5 and 12. Theforming rolls, as indicated, are three in number and comprise two rolls 16 and 17 mounted on fixed Y axes in positionto engage opposite sides of the wire 13 at its spaced points; The third forming roll 18 is carried in a support 19 and is movable with such supportltowar'd and away from the roll 17 to vary the curvature ofthespring-coils. j

The pitch, or'axial spacing of thejspring-turns, v is controlled by a plate 21 having 'an incline'd f spring-engaging face 22. -As the springis being a j wound, the plate 21 is moved inwardly out- 2 wardly by suitable mechanism in order etra/m the desired spacing of successive spring-turf s.

As the winding of the spring proceed plate 21 is moved inwardly and outwardlyfto' vary the pitch of successive spring turfrs.f

Usually, the spring-turns are spaced fairly close j together at the smaller end of the spring, and" the spacing of adjacent spring-turns increases toward the largerend; but the last spring-turn is made substantially plane in order, as above set v forth, to bring the extreme end of the spring-wire comparatively close to the next to the last turn. During the coiling of the spring, the feed rolls 11 and.12 are yieldingly pressed together to grip the stock wire. 13 between them and to force it 3 I through the forming rolls; but when the winding of the spring is completed, the grip of the feed rolls 11 and 12 on the stock wire is released so that feeding of the wire stops. Thereupon, the knife 24 moves outwardly adjacent the lower edge of the support 19 and severs the completely wound spring.

The mechanisms employed for controlling the gripping of the feed rolls on the wire; for moving the forming-roll'suppo'rt 19 and the'plate 21, may" for operating *the cut-off knife 24 are all well known, form no'par-t of my present H v' b lf andtherefore=need not-be described. i l In embodying my inventionin association with 30. In this sub-frame 30 I mount'a vertical shaft,

counter-shaft 33 which is in turn operatively cona spring-forini1ig machine of the'type'described, I:

I mount on-the side' of the frame 10 a sub-frame nected by gears 34 and 3 5 with the main shaft '55 36 of the spring-forming machine. The various parts of the mechanism forming the subjectmatter of this invention are operated from the shaft 31.

The knotting mechanism which wraps the end of the spring wire around the'next to the last spring-turn is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, and 'I. It comprises an intermittently rotatable wrapping member 40 which is rotatably supported on a vertical axis in the sub-frame 30. The member 40 has an axial conical hole, larger at its upper end, and a radial slot 41 extending from this axial hole to the periphery of the member. It also has an annular series of gear teeth 42 by means of which it may be rotated. As is clear from Fig. '7, the gear teeth 42 mesh with a gear' notch adapted to be engaged by a pivotally mounted dog 51 mounted on the sub-frame 30 and yieldingly pressed into engagement with the disk 50.

The transfer device by means of which each spring, after being coiled, is carried to the wrapping mechanism or knotter is illustrated in Figs.

cam 60 on the vertical shaft 31.

5, 6,and 8 to 11 inclusive. It comprises a carriage 55 mounted for horizontal sliding movement in the sub-frame 30. The carriage 55 is provided with a pair of co-operating jaws comprising a fixed jaw 56 and a movable jaw 57. The cooperating faces of such two jaws are provided with grooves for the reception of the last two turns of the completely wound spring.

The carriage 55 may be reciprocated between its two limiting positions by means of an arm 58 (see Figs. 3 and 8) which is pivoted at one end to the sub-frame 30 and which has its other end operatively connected to any convenient point on the carriage 55. At an intermediate point, the arm '58 carries a roll 59 that co-operates with a A spring 60 acting between the arm 58 and some convenient stationary point serves to maintain the roller 59 in contact with the cam 60. The cam 60 is so shaped that as a spring nears completion of the coiling operation the carriage will move to the right so that the jaws 56 and 5'7 will grasp the completed spring immediately prior to the operation of the cut-off knife 24 which severs the spring from the stock wire. After the spring has been severed the carriage 55 moves to the left to carry the spring into association with the wrapping mechanism.

The movable jaw 5'7 is pivotally mounted on a vertical axis at the end of the carriage 55 and is adapted to be swung toward ,or away from the jaw 56 by means of a link 61 connected to a bell-' crank 62 mounted on an axis disposed longitudinally of the carriage 55. The position of the bell-crank 62 is controlled by a rod 63 which extends along the front of the carriage parallel to the axis of the bell-crank and to the path of carriage movement. This rod 63 is received in a fork 64 secured to the outer end of a member 65 which is slidably mounted in the front wall of the frame 30 (see Figs. 10 and 11) By inward and outward movement of the member 65, the bell-crank 62 is rocked and serves to operate the movable jaw .57.

For the purpose of controlling movement of the member 65, I mount on the shaft 31 a cam 66 which co-operates with a cam follower 6'7 operatively engaging the inner end of the rod 65. A spring 68 serves to maintain the'member 65 in engagement with the cam follower 6'7 and the cam follower in turn in engagement with the cam 66.

The operation of the transfer device just described is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. The parts are shown in full lines in Fig. 8 in the positions they occupy at the completion of the operation of knotting the spring-end. The lobe of the cam 66 is just about to pass out of engagement with the cam follower .67. When this occurs, the member 65 is drawn inwardly by the spring 68 to rock the bell-crank 62 and release the movable jaw 57, Prior to this release; the spring whose end has just been tied has been gripped from below by a second transfer mechanism which will be described hereinafter; and this second transfer mechanism moves the spring downwardly to permit the carriage 55 to move to the right under the co-operative action of the spring 60' and cam 60 to the dotted-line position illustrated'in Figs. 8 and 9. As the rotation of the shaft 31 continues, and while the carriage 55 is still at the rightward limit of its movement, the cam 66 moves the member 65 outwardly and causes the jaws 56 and 57 to grip the spring which has just been coiled and is about to be cut off. After the cam 66 has moved the jaw 5'7 to closed position, the cam 60 retracts the carriage 55 to the full-line position shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

To prevent damage to the machine should the spring-turns gripped by the jaws 56 and 5'7 not be in line with the grooves therein, the bell-crank 62 is not pivotally mounted directly on the carriage 55 but instead is mounted in a bracket 62 that isslidable on screws 52 projecting forwardly from the carriage 55. Springs 53 acting between the heads of the screws 52 and the bracket 62' normally hold the bracket against the face of the carriage; but, should the jaws 56 and 5'7 fail to close properly, the reaction at the pivot of the bell-crank 62 will move the bracket 62' outwardly against the force exerted by the springs 53.

It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the jaws 56 and 57 grip the last two spring-turns somewhat below the point at which the spring is severed from the stock wire 13, so that the spring-end projects upwardly above the upper surfaces of the jaws. For the purpose of bending this projecting spring-end inwardly across the next to the last spring-turn, I arrange on the sub-frame 30 an abutment '71 which is provided with a slot '73 positioned to receive the next to the last spring-turn and with a shallow notch '74 which receives the projecting spring-end, as is clear from Figs. 6 and '7. As the carriage 55 nears the rearward end of its movement, the projecting spring-end is received in the notch '74 so that as the'carriage continues its rearward movement the spring-end is bent inwardly and downwardly as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6 while the next to the last spring-turn passes through the slots 73 and 41 into the axial hole in the knotting member 40.

On the lower end of the rotatable wrapping member 40 there is provided a downward extension or boss '76 which lies atone side of the in-bent spring end when the carriage 55 reaches the rearward limit of its movement. At this point, as is clear from Fig. 7, the gear sector 46 is about to engage the pinion 45 to cause the wrapping member 40 to rotate in a clockwise direction. This rotation of thewrapping member causes the boss 76 to wind the in-bent spring end around the next to the last spring-turn; The. parts may be arranged so that the wrapping member 40 makes any desired number of complete revolutions in performing the forming operations, but ordinarily two revolutions would be suflicient.

As the end of the spring is being tied, the spring is resiliently gripped from below by means of two jaws 80 and 81 spring-pressed toward engagement by a spring 82 and mounted on the end of a swinging arm 83 which is pivoted on a horizontal axis-on the front of the sub-frame 30. Rigid with the arm 83 is a second arm 84 which is connected through a link 85 to a swinging cam-follower 86 (see Fig. 3) pivotally mounted on the sub-frame and controlled by the joint operation of a cam 87 and a spring 88, the cam 8'7 being mounted on the shaft 31.

While a spring-end is being knotted, the arm 83 is moved by the cam 8'? into the full-line position illustrated in Fig. 5. The edges of the jaws 80 and 81 are beveled so that the last spring-tum forces such jaws apart and is resiliently gripped between them by the action of the spring 82. Immediately upon the completion of the knotting operation the arm 83 is swung in a clockwise direction to the dotted-line position-illustrated in Fig. 5, thus carrying the completed spring into a discharge rack 90.

The jaw 81 has rigid with it an inwardly extending projection 81' which, when the arm 83 occupies the dotted-line position shown in Fig. 5, is disposed outwardly from an abutment 89 on the reciprocating member 65 which operates the jaws 56 and 57. While the arm 83 is still in the dotted-line position of Fig. 5, the reciprocating member 65 moves outwardly and the abutment 89 strikes the extension 81 of the jaw 81 thus releasing the spring which has just been moved into the rack 90. Upon upward movement of the arm 83, the extension 81' moves out of association with the abutment 89 and permits the jaws and 81 to close.

In rear of the discharge rack 90, I mount a horizontally reciprocable member 91 which carries on its inner end a pivoted dog 92 yieldingly held by aspring 93 inthe path of the movement of the last spring-turn as the arm 83 nears the lower limit of its movement. When'the arm 83 has reached the lower limit of its movement, the dog 92 swings outwardly under the action of the spring 93 and engages behind the spring which has just been deposited in therack 90.

The member 91 is'connected'through a link 94 to a horizontally swinging arm 95 pivotally mounted on the sub-frame 30 and adapted to be oscillated by the joint operation of a spring 96 and a cam 9'7 on the shaft 31. After a spring has been deposited in the rack and the jaws 80 and 81 opened by outward movement of the member 65, the member 91 is moved to the left (Fig. 4) by the cam 97, the dog 92 engages the spring which has just been deposited in the rack,

' and such spring is carried to the left. The back of the rack 90 immediately to the left of the point at which a spring is deposited in it is offset forwardly, so that as each spring is moved to the left by operation of the member 91 it is displaced forwardly to permit the next spring to overlap it.

Thus, the completed springs are nested, as indicated in Fig; 1. a

The mechanism employed for withdrawing the end of the stock wire from the forming rolls 16, 17, and 18 to permit it to be re-bent at a different curvature is perhaps best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5. This mechanism is mounted on the righthand side of the machine (Fig. 1) to be associated with the stock-wire 13 before it enters the straightener 14.

Pivotally supported fromthe frame 10 of the machine on a horizontal axis and below the wire 13 I provide a swinging arm 101 which carries near itsupp'er end immediately-below the wire 13 an anvil 102. Pivotally connected to the arm 101 below the anvil 102 is a second arm 103 which extends upwardly and which carries immediately above the wire 13 a gripping block 104.

The upper end of the arm 103 is connected through a link 106 to a swinging arm 107 mounted on the sub-frame 30 and adapted to be oscillated by the co-operation of a spring 108 and a cam 109 mounted on the upper end of the shaft 31.

On the frame 10 of the machine I provide an adjustable abutment 111 with which the arm 101 is normally held in contact by a spring 112. When the arm 101 is in this position the upper face of the anvil 102 .is substantially parallel to the wire 13. 'Movement of the upper arm 103 under the influence of the spring 108 is limited by an adjustable abutment 114' mounted on the lower arm 101.

Normally the parts just described occupy the full-line position illustrated in Fig. 12 with the arm engaging the abutment 111 and the upper arm 103 engaging the abutment 114. In this position, the anvil 102 and the gripping block 104 are spaced apart sufficiently to permit the wire 13 to pass freely between them.

When the winding of the spring has been completed and the spring has been severed from the stock wire, the cam 109 moves the arm 103 to the dotted-line position illustrated in Fig. 12. During the first part of this movement, since the spring 112 tends to hold the arm 101- stationary, the upper arm 103 swings about its point of pivotal connection to the lower arm 101, thus causing the rear lower corner of the gripping block 104 to engage the Wire 13 and to clamp it between the gripping block and the anvil. This gripping action limits further relative movement of the two arms 101 and 103 which thereafterswing rearwardly to the dotted-line position illustrated in Fig. 12, thus withdrawing the wire from the forming rolls 16, 1'7, and 18 to permit the roll 18 to be moved toward the fixed roll 17and produce coils of relatively small diameter when the winding of the new spring commences.

'It will be understood that the feed rolls 11 and 12 are released from their grip upon the wire 13 when the coiling of a spring is completed and remain released until after the wire-withdrawing mechanism has performed its function of retracting the wire. As the operation of retracting the wire is being performed, the coiled spring is'moved away from the coiling position by movement of the carriage 55, so that when the feed rolls 11 and 12 again engage the wire the opera- 11 and 12 are released from the wire, the carriage 55 advances, and the jaws 56 and '7 grip the two last-formed turns of the spring. Thereafter, and before the carriage 55 begins its return movement, the formed spring is severed from the stock wire 13 by operation of the cut-off knife 24. The carriage 55 is then retracted to carry the spring into association with the knotting mechanism which operates as above described to knot the extreme end of the wire from which the spring has been formed. As the spring is being knotted it is gripped from below by the two jaws 80 and 81. Upon the completion of the knotting operation, the jaws '56 and 5'7 are released, and the arm 83, which carries the jaws 80 and 81, swings downwardly to carry the completed spring into the rack 90. Whilethe spring is being knotted, the wire-retracting mechanism retracts the stock-wire 13 and is then released. Following this, the feed rolls 11 and 12 again grip the wire and feed it through the forming rolls 16, 17, and 18 to form a new spring.

I claim as my invention:

1. An attachment for aspi ing-coiling machine having a frame, coiling mechanism, and a cut-off device, comprising a sub-frame adapted to be mounted in juxtaposition to the frame of said spring-coiling machine, knotting mechanism mounted in said sub-frame, transfer mechanism mounted in said sub-frame for carrying a coiled spring from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, a secondtransfer mechanism,

mounted on said sub-frame for carrying knotted springs from said knotting mechanism, a shaft supported in said sub-frame, and means driven from said shaft for operating said knotting mechanism and said two transfer mechanisms.

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the addition of means driving said shaft in timed relation with said coiling mechanism and cut-off device. 1

3. An attachment for a spring-coiling machine having a, frame, coiling mechanism, and a cutoff device, comprising a sub-frame adapted to be mounted in juxtaposition to the frame of said spring-coiling machine, knotting mechanism mounted in fixed position in said sub-frame,transfer mechanism mounted in said sub-frame for carrying a coiled spring from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, a second transfer mechanism mounted on said sub-frame for carrying knotted springs from said knotting mechanism, and means driving said knotting and transfer mechanism in timed relation with said coiling mechanism and cut-off device.

A. An attachment for a spring-coiling machine having a frame, coiling mechanism, and a cut-off device, comprising a sub-frame adapted to be mounted in juxtaposition to the frame of said spring-coiling machine, knotting mechanism mounted in fixed position in said sub-frame, transfer mechanism mounted in said sub-frame for carrying a coiled spring from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, and means driving said knotting and transfer mechanisms in timed relation with said coiling mechanism and cut-off device.

5. In combination with a machine for forming open-wound helical springs, a rack, transfer mechanism for moving finished springs successively into association with said rack, and feeding mechanism for moving each spring delivered to said rack along the rack in a direction perpendicular to the spring-axis, said rack being provided with an off-set spring guide having a cam surface adapted to engage each spring and move it axially as it is being fed along said rack by said feeding mechanism.

6. In combination with a machine for forming open-wound helical springs, a rack, transfer mechanism for moving finished springs successively into association with said rack, a member mounted for reciprocation longitudinally of said rack, a dog mounted on said member, yielding means for holding said dog in the path of movement of a spring being moved into association with said rack by said transfer mechanism, and means for reciprocating said member in timed relation with said transfer mechanism to move along said rack a spring engaged by said dog.

'7. An attachment for a spring-coiling machine having a frame, coiling mechanism, and a cutoff device, comprising a sub-frame adapted to be mounted in juxtaposition to the frame of said spring-coiling machine, knotting mechanism mounted in said sub-frame, transfer mechanism mounted in said sub-frame for carrying a coiled spring from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, a second transfer mechanism mounted on said sub-frame for carrying knotted springs from said knotting mechanism, a rack for receiving springs from said second transfer mechanism, means mounted in said sub-frame for feeding along said rack springs deposited therein by said second transfer mechanism, a shaft supported in said subframe, and means driven from said shaft for operating said knotting mechanism, said two transfer mechanisms, and said feeding means.

8. An attachment for a spring-coiling machine having a frame, coiling mechanism, and a cut-off device, comprising a sub-frame adapted 'to be mounted in juxtapositionto the frame of said spring-coiling machine, mounted in said sub-frame, transfer mechanism mounted in said sub-frame for carrying a coiled spring from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, a second transfer mechanism mounted on said sub-frame for carrying knotted springs from said knotting mechanism, a rack knotting mechanism for receiving springs from said second transfer mechanism, means mounted in said sub-frame for feeding along said rack springs deposited therein by said second transfer mechanism, and means driving said knotting and transfer mechanisms and said feeding means in timed relation with said coiling mechanism and cut-off device.

9. In a spring-forming machine, a frame, coiling mechanism, knotting mechanism, and transfer mechanism for transferring coiled springs from said coiling mechanism to said knotting mechanism, said transfer mechanism including a carriage, a pair of spring-gripping jaws mounted for relative movement on said carriage, said carriage being mounted for reciprocation in said frame, a jaw-operating member mounted on said carriage and extending parallel to the path of movement thereof, a membeemounted for reciprocation in said frame transversely of the path of carriage movement, means on said reciprocating member for slidably engaging said jaw-operating member, and means for reciprocating said carriage and reciprocating member in timed relation.

10. In a spring-forming machine, a frame.

jaws mounted for relative movement on said carriage, said carriage being mounted for reciprocation in said frame, means for operating said jaws, said means including two slidably interconnected parts supported respectively from said frame and carriage and movable transversely to the path of carriage movement to operate said jaws; one of said parts having suflicient extent in the path of carriage movement so that the parts will remain in engagement as the carriage reciprocates, and means for reciprocating in timed relation the carriage and that one of said two slidably interconnected parts which is supported from said frame;

11. In a device of the class described, knotting mechanism, transfer mechanisms for successively conveying springs to and from said knotting mechanisms respectively, each of said transfer mechanisms including a pair of spring-gripping jaws, a common operating member reciprocable to operate said jaws, and means for operating said two transfer mechanisms and said operating v member in timed relation.

12. In a spring-coiling machine having a frame, forming rolls, a cut-off device, means for feeding wire through said forming rolls, and means operative to withdraw. wire from said forming rolls after a oompletedspring has been severed from the wire by the operation of said cut-off device, said wire-withdrawing means comprising a member pivoted to said frame, a second member pivoted to said first member, co-operating jaws mounted respectivelyon said two members and located on opposite sides of the wire to grip the wire as the jaws move relatively about their axis of pivotal interconnection,and operating means connected to said second member to swing it about its axis of pivotal interconnection with the first member until the wire is gripped and thereafter to swing both members as aunit about the axis of pivotal mounting of said first member.

13. In a device of the class described, knotting mechanism, a transfer mechanism for successively removing coil-springs from said knotting mechanism to a discharge position, said transfer mechanism including a movable member carrying a pair of co-operating spring-gripping jaws, and two independently operated meansfor moving said member and for releasing said jaws, respectively.

14. In a device of the class described, knotting mechanism, a transfer mechanism for successively conveying springs to said knotting mechanism, a second transfer mechanism for successively conveying springs from said knotting mechanism to a discharge position, each of said transfer mechanisms including a pair of springgripping jaws, a reciprocable member operatively connected to the jaws of said first named transfer mechanism, and a jaw-operating member carried by said second transfer mechanism in position to be carried into operative association with said reciprocable member when said second transfer mechanism reaches discharge position.

WILLIAM E. WUNDERLICH. 

